A team in the football pyramid doesn't count in relation to top performing universities in sport. Yes a team who were playing together regularly would of course help in performances in the BUSA games but the actuality of playing in a local league in the pyramid contributes nothing towards BUSA rankings at all

Also it would take no time at all for Durham university to create a ground worthy of a grading to play ENL football. Whether they would decide to play on the pitch inside the running track or one of the 4G pitches is their call but the portable stands and floodlights can be utilised on any pitch. The 4G pitches are enclosed and all the grass pitch would need is extra fencing towards the river which would not be a problem.

p.s. I don't think Durham will ever pass Loughborough overall anyway even if they have a team in the premier league, Loughborough just too strong at athletics and swimming

Work is already going on down at Maiden Castle......Durham Women's FC are getting a new ground and will be moving from New Ferens Park so I believe. And this new ground will have to pass all the grading requirements for Women's Super League ( let alone ENL requirements )....and Durham have just secured their continuing place in the league for the next few seasons....they are currently averaging between 500-600 fans at home games at present.

A team in the football pyramid doesn't count in relation to top performing universities in sport. Yes a team who were playing together regularly would of course help in performances in the BUSA games but the actuality of playing in a local league in the pyramid contributes nothing towards BUSA rankings at all

Also it would take no time at all for Durham university to create a ground worthy of a grading to play ENL football. Whether they would decide to play on the pitch inside the running track or one of the 4G pitches is their call but the portable stands and floodlights can be utilised on any pitch. The 4G pitches are enclosed and all the grass pitch would need is extra fencing towards the river which would not be a problem.

p.s. I don't think Durham will ever pass Loughborough overall anyway even if they have a team in the premier league, Loughborough just too strong at athletics and swimming

BUSA? Get with the times Cestrian, it hasn't been called that for a decade, also Durham are one of the top teams in top division in the country.

Sorry Andy forgot it was now BUSC force of habit calling it BUSA. Yes Durham are regularly second nationally to Loughborough but whatever is said it doesn't change my stance on the fact that football is a distant relative to the "big" sports at Durham and these sports like Rugby, cricket, Rowing, Archery, etc attract most of the monies for training etc

Durham Women's FC came about as a result of a merger in 2014 between South Durham and Cestria Girls FC and Durham University, but the club is ran independently by non Durham Uni people...see the following, taken from their website.

DURHAM WOMEN FC CLUB HISTORYDurham WFC were formed in 2014 as a merger between South Durham & Cestria Girls and Durham University, competing in their first ever Women's Super League season during 2014.

Cestria was founded during 2006 by Lee Sanders and the North East side became perennial achievers in the women's game. The girls played teams as far-reaching as Portugal, Ghana and America before winning the prestigious World Peace Cup in Oslo in 2010. A year later, they finished runners-up at the Gothia World Youth Cup.

Their first season as a senior football side finished in a Northern Women’s Combination League trophy before the merger came about with Sanders and Quentin Sloper, head of sport at Durham University, heading up the idea.

This led to the Wildcats competing in their first WSL2 campaign during 2014. The side took a while to find their feet but finished strongly and eventually finished 6th, a magnificent achievement for a side formed just months before the League began.

A successful second season followed with Durham finishing 7th despite an injury-ravaged campaign, giving the Wildcats plenty of confidence heading into 2016.

And that confidence was well-founded, with Durham enjoying their most successful season to date in their third year. A fourth-placed finish in FA WSL 2 represented the club's best ever league finish, with the Wildcats well in the promotion hunt until the end of the season. Records were broken off the field, too, with crowds flocking to New Ferens Park across the season.

This laid the foundations for the one-off FA WSL Spring Series. With the vast majority of the squad retained, the side were looking forward with optimism into 2017.

A fifth place finished followed in the Spring Series as the club continued to develop both on and off the pitch. And that growth was rewarded at the 2017 FA Women's Football Awards, where the Wildcats were awarded the prestigious FA Women's Super League 2 Club of the Year prize for their excellent progress as a club

I also need to point out that some of the players are on Scholarships at Durham Uni ( but only a few ) and the side contains school teachers, NHS physiotherapists, people who work in admin for private companies and registered charities etc, so as you can see from this they are NOT a Durham University side in it's fullest sense of the word.....they are an independent club in a strategic partnership with the Uni.

A team in the football pyramid doesn't count in relation to top performing universities in sport. Yes a team who were playing together regularly would of course help in performances in the BUSA games but the actuality of playing in a local league in the pyramid contributes nothing towards BUSA rankings at all

Also it would take no time at all for Durham university to create a ground worthy of a grading to play ENL football. Whether they would decide to play on the pitch inside the running track or one of the 4G pitches is their call but the portable stands and floodlights can be utilised on any pitch. The 4G pitches are enclosed and all the grass pitch would need is extra fencing towards the river which would not be a problem.

p.s. I don't think Durham will ever pass Loughborough overall anyway even if they have a team in the premier league, Loughborough just too strong at athletics and swimming

I wasn't implying that it counted towards the BUCS system, simply that it would raise their overall profile and as others have pointed out - would do player development no harm at all.

They've obviously seen how succeful Team Northumbria have been and I'd hazard a guess that Durham University would have far more resources to put towards running a football club. Time will tell I suppose.

Durham University are also working hard to get really able local students to consider them rather than heading elsewhere. The Supported Progression Scheme is a big part of that and they have drawn my son into it, as he is doing very well with physics, chemistry and maths A levels. I'm far from lah-di-dah, born in a council house in Chester-le-street. A fact I am immensely proud of.My lad is 17 and is in his second season in adult football. Last season he played in the U17 and U18 (up a year) premier divisions of the local youth league. Durham are drawing in lots of local talent in many fields with this approach. On the Durham University events, we've seen a talented lad called Seamus from north of the water in Sunderland who Jack has played against many a time. He's a smashing lad too, but not exactly landed gentry... but he has got a tin-opener of a left foot!

As for Lee Sanders, he built a club from a single junior girls' team- his and their achievements are to be applauded, especially now through the national status of the Wildcats. He lived near my mam and dad, he's a top man with a lovely family, but again not a person with 'airs and graces'.

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